Toad Brigade
by Vinely26
Summary: In a Post-Bowser Universe, the leftover minions struggle for supremacy. The Mushroom Kingdom founds Toad Fleet to push back the overwhelming hoards of baddies. Captain Toad is granted the M.K.S. Toadstool, and with the help of his Toad Brigade, aids in the fight against the frightening armies that threaten the universe.
1. The Battle for The Observatory I

**READ THIS BEFORE READING!**

 **This is an episodic series, and that means you can skip around to any 'episode' in the series.** **Each episode is designed to be a standalone experience** **, but it is also (obviously) able to be read in a linear fashion. The entire series is measured in chapters, but episodes are measured in terms of parts.**

 **Ex: The Name of the Episode I (no. of part)**

 **This is always how all episodes will be set up, and episodes that are listed without a roman numeral are a 'short episode' that is only one part long.**

 **Ex: The Name of the Short Episode**

 **This whole series is set up kind of like Star Trek, and you'll find that it can be experienced in any order (though of course I tell the story in the order that I think is best.) If you're on the fence about reading, read the first episode. (The Battle for the Observatory) This episode acts as an introduction, and is the best option for first-time Toad Brigade readers. Thank you, and please enjoy!**

CHAPTER 1

DEEP SPACE

"Space: the final frontier. Many Toads have only dreamed of traveling the dusty cosmos. Only we, the Toad Brigade, dare to live the dreams of all Toadkind. I, the brave and courageous, mighty and, exceptionally good lookin-"

"Would you get on with it? We've already got an incoming message from someone! It's probably Toad Fleet!" Mailtoad said, shooting Captain Toad a glance from his swivelling chair on the deck in front of the Captain's chair. Captain Toad straightened his miner's headlight he cherished from his days helping Mario, and he held down on his recording stick once again.

"As I was saying: after the defeat of Bowser by Mario, the evils of his minions didn't totally subside. As the first ship under the name 'M.K.S. Toadstool', we embark on a perilous journey to fight back the feuding minions left struggling over power in Bowser's absence." Captain Toad finished as he stuck his recorder back into his pocket. He pressed a few buttons on the arm of his chair, and the large view of outer space they had through their front window became clouded with a star-bit barrier. "Blue," Captain Toad said, alerting his glasses-clad friend in the seat near him. "Engage 'Power-Star Operated Wave-Generator'."

Blue Toad nodded his head with a slight smirk. "Engaging P.O.W., entering Rainbow Road." Blue reported while he fiercely pushed the throttle forward, and their perception of space in front of them began to change. A magnificent range of colors danced around in a circle. In was unclear if they were moving forward, but soon everyone felt a sudden jolt of energy. It took everyone off-guard, and Yellow Toad nearly fell out of his seat.

It was clear that they were now on their way into the vast unknown. The Captain took this time to check the message sent to them by Toad Fleet. If he was honest, he'd rather ignore Toadsworth giving him some kind of lecture again. Having a family member on the top of the social ladder sounds good in concept, but not if that family member is your doting yet strict as heck grandfather.

"Turn on the video message from Toad Fleet." Captain Toad commanded, knowing he was in for it. The screen blipped on, and it was none other than Rosalina. She was kneeling in front of the camera in the Library on her Observatory.

"I have a message for the Captain of this Toad Fleet Vessel. The Observatory is under attack from King Boo's Royal Army! We need assistance! The Lumas cannot hold their own against these fiends! Please arrive whenev-" A bang at the door startled all the Toads on the bridge. Heroically, Rosalina arose and turned to face the incoming conflict.

"She's so brave." Yellow Toad remarked, starry eyed.

Blue Toad turned in his chair to face Captain Toad. "The coordinates of the message are 2.35.10. The Observatory is positioned above the Ghostly Galaxy. We're not some sort of battleship, but we can stall King Boo while we contact Toad Fleet." Blue Toad said, evaluating their options. Captain Toad got up from his chair and typed the coordinates into the main control panel of the Toadstool.

"We have to help her, there's nobody else who will!" He stated loudly. The Control Bridge team gave one big 'hurrah!' before they road the Rainbow Road all the way to the Ghostly Galaxy, where they would meet their ship's first foes…

THE GHOSTLY GALAXY

When the Toadstool exited the Rainbow Road dimension, they had a perfect view of the Observatory under heavy fire from the Galaxy, but also from a large ship beside it. The ship was large and shaped like a giant head of a skeletal koopa troopa.

"Captain! The Dry Bones have joined forces with King Boo!" Blue Toad reported. Captain Toad felt a few beads of sweat forming on his fungal head.

 _Dry Bones? Here? Now? What are we going to do?_ He thought frantically. Yellow Toad turned, somewhat nervous for their safety.

"Captain… What are we going to do?" Yellow Toad asked, worried. Captain Toad still failed to give them a command.

"We're receiving another transmission, should I display it on the screen, sir?" Mailtoad asked. Captain Toad composed himself.

"Yes, open it." He instructed. Mailtoad fiddled with the communications panel for moment before the video message was finally displayed. It was King Boo. The sounds of laser artillery rang through the large screen louder than from their position far away from the battle.

"Toad Fleet, I'm so glad you've arrived! I do hope you're harboring Luigi on board so I can reward him for the decimation of my estate. Though if not, I'll still take immense pleasure in destroying your puny ship, EEHEEEHEEHEEHEEE!" The large Boo cackled. The screen switched off abruptly. There was a sort of panic erupting on board the M.K.S. Toadstool, especially on the bridge. A startling rumble shifted the attention of every Toad to the Dry Bones Battleship, which was now firing lasers in their direction.

"Captain! We've taken a direct hit to our portside wing! Another hit like that and there won't be much for Captain Fungus to save when he gets here with his fleet!" Blue Toad stated alarmingly. Captain Toad finally snapped out of his shock.

"Yellow! Boot up the Starman Generator, get those shields up and running. I want Starshrooms loaded with armed Toad-Fighters and deployed, ready to aid Rosalina. Blue, give me a rough evaluation of their numbers and fighting patterns. I need to know how many of them there are, and how they're gonna come at us. Purple, keep me posted if we get another message." Captain Toad rattled off a long list of in-depth commands. The Bridge Toads stared at him with dumbfounded expressions. The Captain saw the fear in their eyes, and he felt the same fear manifesting in his. Though they needed to help Rosalina. If the Observatory fell to the Royal Boo Army, not only would it be a huge win for Bowser's Minions, but they would likely wipe out the Lumas in the battle. King Boo had to be stopped.

"Get a move on!" He shouted. The Toads immediately obeyed, and scrambled away to do their duties. Captain Toad got out of his chair and followed Blue down the hall. The two Toads stepped quickly down the shiny white and metal corridors.

"What do we have to arm the Toad-Fighters with?" Captain Toad asked. Blue Toad shook his head.

"Koopa Shell-Shields and… I suppose we could supply them with the hammers donated by the Mario Bros.?" Blue was stretching their options. He was reaching for weapons that would keep their Toads safe, but the truth is that hammers and shell-shields won't work against boos and dry bones.

"That should be enough to hold them off before Fungus arrives. We just need a distraction, not a trump card." Captain Toad said. "I'm going down there with the fighters, I think you and Yellow should come too." Blue's face went pale and his breathing grew heavier.

"What do you mean? I'm not a Toad-Fighter! And Yellow is irresponsible enough as it is! He's my brother and I love him, but I don't trust him with his own life." Blue protested. "You can lead the Fighters into battle if you really want to, Red, I'm not stopping you. But neither me or Yellow are going to come down there with you."

Red was somewhat hurt by Blue's refusal to come with him. Many of the other Toads from the original Toad Brigade accepted Red as the leader somewhat unanimously. He and Blue had always been good friends, but their relationship got tense after Toad Brigade was formed. Blue shut all the other Toads out for a time, and he used that time to study up and put some knowledge behind his already sharp wit. He wanted to appear as the smart one, so he began wearing glasses to convince even the most aesthetic of company. Things only got worse when Red was made Captain of the first Explorer-Class Ship of Toad Fleet, and Blue only got more jealous. Though that Explorer-Class Ship may be the last as well if they couldn't stop King Boo and the Dry Bones from sacking the Observatory.

Captain Toad left Blue and ran into the Toad-Fighter Station. They were just about to load up into the Starshrooms. He grabbed a hammer and a shell-shield from the armory, and boarded the Starshroom-M1. Though he was among a squadron of Red Toads, he stuck out as Captain Toad due to his uniform and miner's light. He was immediately recognized, and let into the ship without any questions asked.

As the ship's thrusters whirred and began to lift them off the Toadstool, Red felt a twinge of intense fear. He had been required to take basic Toad-Fighter courses at Toad Fleet headquarters, but he was by no means an expert. He would have to rely on the timing of Captain Fungus and the effectiveness of the Toad-Fighters if he wished to survive.


	2. The Battle for The Observatory II

CHAPTER 2

THE OBSERVATORY

It was as if the floodgates had given way when the Starshroom-M1 landed, and the doors swung open. There were only ten Toad-Fighters per ship, but each well-trained warrior fought for the common good with a fiery passion.

Captain Toad followed up the rear, bashing the occasional Dry Bones, and advancing the Toad offensive. Though it was a futile battle because of the Dry Bones battleship firing on the Observatory from the air.

The Starshrooms had no artillery due to them being designed for exploration of new galaxies, though the aerial Toad-Fighters were dropping red bob-bombs. The bombs were less to make damage than to draw their fire.

Rosalina and her Black Luma was holding nearly thirty boos in place with a stare in the center of the Observatory. Captain Toad wait for the Toad front to reach her position to speak with her. She didn't dare take her eyes off of the boos, but she sensed the Toad who had stopped near her was of importance.

"And who might you be, little Toad?" The fair lady questioned. Though in the middle of a fearsome battle, she was in the eye of the storm. She was completely calm. Red was fascinated.

"You're in danger here, we need to move." Captain Toad warned. "Captain Fungus is arriving with a Battleship any minute now, but we need you to move out of the way so we can clear the area." Rosalina smiled gently.

"I would tag along with you, dear, but you see… I'm a bit tied up at the moment." Captain Toad turned around to see the growing onslaught of boos being kept in check by her angelic stare. "How about I'll meet you in the Kitchen. Polaris will lead you there. Polari? Be a dear and take…" Her voice trailed off. Even a celestial being was plagued by not knowing her company's name.

"I'm Captain Toad, but my friends call me Red." Rosalina, unblinking, swished her wand through the air. A small warp star appeared beside them.

"Take this to the Kitchen, Captain, I'll meet you here when I'm done with these foul creatures." She instructed. Red nodded and jumped into the warp star along with the small black Luma. The two floated uncomfortably for a few seconds before the star convulsed, and shot them towards the Kitchen.

When they landed, they saw dry bones trying to break through into the boarded up front door.

"We have to save them! My brothers and sisters are trapped in there!" Polari urged as the dark Luma floated towards the problem. Captain Toad silently obliged, and followed the eager Luma. He bashed a few of the dry bones off of the staircase as they made their way up to the top.

There were more than a couple dry bones banging on the door of the Kitchen, but thankfully Captain Toad was able to take them by surprise. He hit them all with his hammer, and they all fell apart.

Red threw open the door to reveal a startling amount of Lumas cowering inside the dome.

"Are you guys alright in here?" Captain Toad asked.

"I'm so glad you're safe!" Polari shouted as he quickly floated by Red to a pink Luma and a smaller blue Luma. "I didn't think you made it back from Beach Bowl!" He hugged the small blue Luma.

"I'm going to evacuate all of us to Buoy Base. Everyone is almost here, we just need Mama to join us." The pink Luma told Polari.

"E-Gads! King Boo is confronting Mama!" A random Luma screeched. Everyone diverted their attention to the window where they all saw King Boo and a significantly more amount of boos than when they used the warp star.

"Continue the evacuation to Buoy Base, we'll deal with the boos and save Rosalina." Captain Toad announced triumphantly. The Lumas all turned to him in confusion.

"We can't leave Mama!" The smaller blue Luma exclaimed, clearly about to burst into tears. Polari soothed the small star-child. Polari nodded at Captain Toad.

"I'll get them to safety, Captain." Polari remarked. With a grin, Captain Toad started down the stairs of the Kitchen.

"Oh my, oh my! What do we have here? A lovely lady fit for a crown. Perhaps when I'm done with you, you'll be my queen?" King Boo nefariously suggested. Rosalina frowned in disgust.

"I'd sooner befriend a dry bones than be wed to such a dreadful monster." She told him, raising her wand in protest. King Boo was not pleased.

"If I can't have you, nobody can! EEEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEEE!" He maniacally laughed. King Boo disappeared in a blinding flash of light, And Rosalina had to close her eyes. In an instant, all of the Boos had rushed at her while her gaze was broken. Rosalina opened her eyes again as quickly as possibly, but it was ready too late. The boos were upon her.

"Back! Don't touch her!" Captain Toad shouted, jumping in front of Rosalina. He swung his hammer randomly, hoping to scare them back; all the while he stared directly in their direction to keep the ghosts in check. "Get out of here Rosalina!" She smiled.

"Many thanks, Captain Toad, may the stars guide you." She gracefully thanked as she hastily floated into the Terrace to escape.

Though Red acted brave, he was extremely frightened by the ferocious boos. It was only then that he heard his direct-line to the Toadstool begin to beep furiously. He reached into his pocket and pressed the 'answer call' button.

"Red! Get on a Starshroom! It's about to be crazy down there!" Blue Toad shouted through the speaker. The Captain didn't give running a second thought.

The swarm of boos chased him through the Lounge and past the Kitchen. They were gaining on him, as they had no legs to slow them down.

 _I have to act fast, I'm about to be ghost food!_ Red worriedly thought. Then he saw it: a Starshroom hovering beside the Observatory. It seemed a bit beat up, but it was flying. Captain Toad decided not to ask questions, and he immediately began preparing to jump off the deck in order to land on it.

Suddenly, he tripped on one of the lowered points in the Observatory flooring. He was doomed. Boos flew in a circle all around him, and he felt himself starting to be damaged by their frightening speeds of swirling.

The Starshroom flew closer, and a single Toad opened the door and began throwing fireballs using a Fire Flower. The boos were repelled by the light and heat, and they all scattered.

Red was nearly unconscious, but he managed to perceive that Blue and Yellow had come to his rescue. It was all a blur from then on, but Red was sure he heard the booms of blue shells ringing louder than King Boo's laser artillery.


	3. The Battle for The Observatory III

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

 **IMPORTANT**

It has been a while. I'd kind of given up on this series, and soft rebooted some of the characters into Spire of Flame (A Smash Brothers fic). I had my mind changed, though, when someone left an incredibly sweet and enthusiastic review on this story. They only were known as 'Guest', but left their initials S.G. I'd very much like to strike up a conversation of sorts, but I don't have the ability to contact them. If S.G. is reading this, please reach out to me over private messaging or something. You have given me a great amount of inspiration to restart work on this series, and your great ideas will absolutely be worked into the future of this weird fic in the future.

Anyways, on with the show:

CHAPTER 3

M.K.S. TOADSTOOL - MEDICAL DECK

Red woke up on a table; his shirt was removed. He sensed the light of a bright lamp beating down on him, and he faintly heard the mumblings of an educated Toad. Fueled by a burning curiosity, he stirred.

"Where… Where am I?" He asked, shifting in his previously still position. A rough and elderly pair of hands prevented him from doing so.

"Easy now… Good morning, Captain. You've been out for quite a while." Doctor Toadly informed. Red opened his eyes. He was seeing double, no, triple. His head didn't feel well at all. It was as if the contents of his cranium had been emptied, spun in a clothes dryer, and then carelessly tossed back into his bulb.

"Whaaa… What's going on?" He weakly interrogated, trying to make sense of the situation. A feminine hand undid one of the straps on his wrists that he just realized was there. Captain Toad slightly regained his awareness, and was taken aback. "Why was I tied down?"

"Ectoplasm is a tricky substance." The Doctor replied. "We had to remove it ASAP, and you weren't exactly exhibiting docile tendencies." The soft and gentle touch of the presumed female carefully unbuckled the other leather binding, and Red's vision came back to him at last. He was on the Medical Deck. Of course he was, where else would a Doctor be? He immediately realized his luck of being rescued when his memories came flooding back. If Blue and Yellow wouldn't have come for him, he'd most certainly be a goner…

"How are you feeling?" Doctor Toadly inquired. Red shook his head to stimulate his dulled senses.

"Honestly, Doc, I don't feel too hot." Red answered woozily. The feminine Toad giggled at his irregularly-phrased remark. His attention was directed to her. "Now the good Doctor Toadly I know, but who might you be?"

"Well," She started. "My name is Toadette." Captain Toad smiled at her.

"What a pretty name." He commented as he stared at her for a moment. She blushed, and bashfully turned away. Doctor Toadly wasn't impressed with Red, and ordered his nurse away to attend to another patient.

"I didn't think you for a playboy, Captain. Maybe you'll think again before you start making passes at my daughter in front of me." Toadly revealed suddenly as he angrily stomped after Toadette. The Captain's face was hot with embarrassment. How was he supposed to know that she was his daughter?

 _Oh well, you win some you lose some I suppose..._ He figured while he reached for his shirt and trusty headlamp. He still had a raging headache, splintering pain in most of his stout body, and a pang of shame hailing from the Doctor's disapproval, but at least he was still alive to feel it all.

M.K.S. TOADSTOOL - THE BRIDGE

"So we're out in the middle of nowhere… Why again?" Yellow asked. The studious Toad rolled his eyes, and pushed up his glasses.

"I do believe I explained this to you already." Blue said. Yellow huffed and crossed his arms like a disappointed child.

"I think I might have dozed off while you were talking…" He admitted sheepishly. Blue raised an eyebrow, but humored his brother.

"We need to lay low because the Captain is under the weather since his encounter with that hoard of boos." Blue restated. Yellow nodded along as though he was absorbing the information, but it was still a gamble on whether or not he'd retain it.

The main entrance whirred as it opened. All of them turned around to see a strong and healthy Captain Toad. Red waltzed into the command center, and plopped down in his distinguished seat. He was met with applause from everyone, including Blue, though he clapped in a reserved manner.

"Thank you, everyone. We couldn't have saved either Rosalina or those Lumas without the bravery of my fellow crew members. Long live Princess Toadstool and the Mushroom Kingdom!" Red proclaimed. An echo of his statement reverberated throughout the Bridge Crew's mouths, and spirits were brought to a new high. Yellow hadn't stopped his consistent applause, and Blue couldn't help but smile.

"Captain?" Purple Toad muttered as the celebration quieted. "I'm getting readings of something really strange in front of us." Red was puzzled, but Blue went to work at his monitor screen. With a few taps of his keyboard, Blue Toad arrived at an answer.

"Whatever it is, it's using negative zone energy to cloak itself from our visual sensors… There are unusually high levels of negative particles directly to our frontside." Blue said, translating the unintelligible data from his computer. Yellow scratched his bulb.

"Negative zone energy?" He asked, confused by his brother's massive intellect. Blue drew another breath to explain, but Red interrupted.

"It sounds bad, and we should figure out what to do about it." Captain Toad decided. Blue was deflated, but he knew that acting would be best in a situation so potentially dire such as this one. Mailtoad shook his head in disbelief.

"I have an incoming transmission, should I answer?" Purple asked. Red nodded, and Malitoad queued the message up onto the big screen. The room where the transmission was coming from was dark, and it was hard to make out what it was the Toads we're looking at. All that could be discerned was a large shadowy figure in a high-tech-looking throne.

"Toad Fleet in my corner of the galaxy? What a surprise." The figure jeered. Red scowled at his toying with them.

"I'd ask that you identify yourself, as is Toad Fleet protocol." Captain Toad ordered of his non-subordinate. The figure snickered, chuckled, and then burst out in a fit of hilarity.

"You truly believe that I will adhere to the laws of..." He was still nearly drowning in laughter, and he took a moment to compose himself. "...the laws of Toadsworth and his cronies? You're sorely mistaken, sir. I'd ask, instead, that you cordially surrender." Captain Toad narrowed his gaze, sizing up his potential opponent.

"We surrender!" Yellow cries out, petrified of the scary figure. Blue bushes him, and turns back to Red to see what he'll say.

"Excuse me, surrender? To what? It's out of the question, but it's standard practice to show yourself when trying to intimidate someone. I think you're scared! You're hiding from u-" Captain Toad was cut off when a ship slowly started to materialize in front of them. It was a huge vessel. At least twice or three times the size of their own large ship. On the portside of the gigantic starship, it read "Baron's Shyship" with an unmistakable mark of who this strange figure was on screen.

"My name is Baron Von Recluse, Emperor of the Shy Guy Empire, and I'm commanding you to surrender. You're trespassing in Shy Empire space." The Baron told Red. Captain Toad grumbled to himself for a moment before responding. That was impossible! This was neutral space, but the Shy Guys _were_ always expanding their territories. This was exactly the sort of operations Toad Fleet was sent to disrupt, and now the first Explorer-Class Ship would be decommissioned before it even fulfilled any of its original duties. Without explanation, Blue Toad started pecking away at his keyboard.

"Can you guarantee the safe passage of my crew?" Red submitted. The Baron leaned forward in his throne, and it could be seen that the white of his mask hid a terrible toothy grin.

"If you give up now, I'm sure we can sort something out for them." The Baron allowed. Blue was deep in his current task. Yellow leaned over, and whispered in his ear.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Yellow quietly asked. Blue ignored him, and was absorbed in his computer screen. Red got up from his Captain's chair, and got down on his knees.

"We surr-" He said before Blue hopped up from his seat abruptly.

"Engaging P.O.W.! Entering Rainbow Road! Everyone brace yourselves!" Blue shouted.

"Confound it all! Send in the ShyWings and dispos-" Purple Toad blipped the Baron off of the big screen before he could finish his threat. Red eyed Blue, and have him a respectful nod. Blue smirked.

An entire spectrum of colors and shapes flew by them at light speed. The end of the tunnel was clear, they were to arrive at Buoy Base, as Blue had calculated. It was a safe place, and well within Toad Fleet territory. The Toads has survived again, and were absolutely thankful for Blue.

Captain Toad, Yellow, and Blue Toad disembarked onto the base where they were greeted by Rosalina and Polari, the Black Luma.

"I was never able to express my gratitude for delivering me and my children to safety. Thank you, Captain Toad; many apologies, may I be introduced to your friends here?" Rosalina asked.

"Certainly, this is Blue and Yellow, they are my two of my most valued crew member aboard the Toadstool." Red introduces. Blue politely nodded, and Yellow eagerly outstretched his hand to shake Rosalina's. The space princess obliged the young Yellow Toad, and he smiled joyfully back at her. Polari was oddly silent. Rosalina turned to her companion.

"Is there anything you'd like to tell these friends of ours, Polari?" She asked, seemingly trying to nudge him on. The Black Luma floated forward.

"I am aware that you command the first Toad Fleet ship that has the primary mission of exploring unknown galaxies… and I must confess that I am enamored with such things. I was indeed very impressed with your actions a few days prior, Captain, so impressed that I wish to hold myself to your standard of heroism. The Observatory will always be my home, but I do wonder if my family and I may tag along with you on the M.K.S. Toadstool?" Polari requested.

"Polari, we would be honored to have you explore the universe with us." Red accepted. Everyone cheered, and they all waved goodbye to Rosalina. She shed a single tear as they left with Polari. One of her chicks had finally left the nest. All grown up.

Captain Toad stood in front of a large window in a corridor, staring into the vastness of space. Blue stepped up, and stood beside him. Red noticed he was there, but he did not greet him out of respect for the serenity of the cosmos.

"I'm sorry that Yellow and I didn't come down with you to the Observatory originally. I was… frightened. It was wrong of me to disregard the order of my Captain." Blue apologized. Red shook his head, and turned to his friend with a warm expression.

"I don't blame you, it's ok. All is forgiven." Red replied. They shared another moment in silence before Blue was distracted by another task. Captain Toad was left immersing himself in the infinite vacuum, the dusty winds of the cosmos, and _his_ final frontier.

 **END**

 **Authors Note**

—

Thank you to anyone who has read this, I'll be uploading this in terms of episodes. (Like episodes of Star Trek) The names of these first three chapters will be renamed "The Battle for The Observatory", and it will be the first 'episode'. These episodes will range from 1-3 actual uploads (or parts) in length, and I will mark the final part as **END.**

 _ **Check back often or follow to get updated on when another part comes out! Thanks! And see you next episode.**_


	4. Big Trouble in Little Beantown I

CHAPTER 4

M.K.S. TOADSTOOL - MESS HALL

Freeze-dried starbits, coconut milk cartons, and a slice of cake. Red sighed as he plunked himself down at the lunch table with the Bridge crew.

"I wish they served something more substantial here…" Red complained picking at the crunchy and semi-repulsive ration food. Unphased by his Captain's obvious disdain for the food, Blue tossed a starbit into his mouth.

"Can't you change that? You are the Captain after all." Blue said, offering up a solution while wiping his mouth with a napkin. Yellow finished off his coconut milk, and slammed it down onto the table in front of his tray.

"Yeah! That makes sense and stuff! Why don't you do that?" Yellow commented enthusiastically. Red slanted his brow in annoyance. He crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. Reluctantly, he grabbed one of the starbits off his platter, and munched it.

"I'm not the captain of the kitchen." Red corrected. Purple was just about done with his meal, tidying his place up just a bit.

"You're right, you're the Captain of the whole ship, including the kitchen." Purple remarked, laughing at his own joke. Captain Toad fumed as he ate his lunch.

"UNDOCUMENTED PLANET DETECTED AHEAD!" A robotic voice alerted everyone over the intercom. The Bridge Toads quickly finished up their rations, and then they ran to the elevator. Up they sped to the Bridge, Red took his seat, and their primary mission's objective could finally begin.

"Thank you for the notification, Monita." Captain Toad said to the AI while he flipped a switch on his chair to turn on his recorder. "Captain's Log, we came across a new planet in Sector GBA. Climate seems temperate and suitable for life, two moons visible, and what I would assume to be oceans of liquid water can be clearly seen. I and the Surface Team will be touching down to check it out shortly."

M.K.S. TOADSTOOL - STARSHROOM DOCKING BAY

"Are we all set?" Greenie called to Blue, who was still outside the Starshroom working on calculations with the craft. Captain Toad and Yellow waited patiently with their Verdantly-Bulbed friend. Green Toad was here to take mineral samples. He had a kind of obsession with shiny objects in the ground, and that sort of hobby makes you pretty familiar with dirt and before we lift off." Blue explained. Yellow had already begun his hourly nap, and Captain Toad was reading up on some of the statistics they picked up on this new planet. A small and seemingly artificial group of structures was spotted by Monita's scans, and that almost always meant intelligent lifeforms. This was indeed their first time discovering a new planet, and there wasn't anything that excited him more. Blue Toad finished up his tinkering, and they set out of the docking bay.

Red looked back at the magnificent M.K.S. Toadstool. It was a gift he'd been given by Toad Fleet, and more specifically his grandfather Toadsworth. To think, it was all his to command. He studied it, as he had never truly had the time to marvel at it before. Starting from the highest point, the two large scanning towers along the back were topped with Great Mushrooms that could act as satellites and solar panels at the same time. Despite most of the ship's mechanical nature, the Great Mushrooms were organic and hailed from the Toads' home planet. They had been adapted to work for long-term space travel, and were the most effective for larger ships. One was yellow (acting as the primary satellite and scanner), and the other was blue (acting as the Main Energy Collector). The ship was in a 'T' shape, with the front of the ship at the bottom of the 'T' harboring another Great Mushroom, this time a green one, at the bow. This large and powerful piece of vegetation was the ship's shield generator. Unlike the other Great Mushrooms, it had to be doctored to exhibit these characteristics. Captain Toad knew very little of the science behind it, and would remember to ask Blue about it later. Finally, in the middle of the 'T' was another mushroom structure. Though this was not a Great Mushroom like all the others; it was what the Bridge looked like from the outside. It was red, and was made entirely of metal. This ship had been entrusted to him, and he would use it to explore the universe until the day he died.

The thick atmosphere of the planet, GBA-03 as Monita had automatically named it, slowly hid the Toadstool from view as they came in for a landing. Fire plumed around the Starshroom, but finally they pushed through the flames to reveal the lush and lovely countryside GBA-03 was home to. Green forests stretched as far as the eye could see, but a specific object caught everyone's eye as they hovered in the air.

"It's a castle!" Greenie exclaimed. Yellow jolted awake, and rubbed his eyes.

"Excuse me? Oh hey! Are we home?" Yellow asked, looking out the window.

"Definitely not, but it does look a lot like home." Blue replied, looking at his portable monitor. "Our home system is Sector NES, Yellow, we've went over this." Yellow sheepishly shrugged. Red's communicator suddenly began to beep uncontrollably in his pocket. The Captain grabbed his device, and rose it to his ear.

"Captain Toad, what's the situation?" Red answered. A jumbled pile of static and bit-crunch played over the communicator, but like a sword in the darkness, a voice cut through the garblings.

"In…..g..h..s!" The voice struggled to say over the airwaves. Red tuned his communicator, and pointed it towards the general direction of the Toadstool.

"Hello? Who's speaking?" He asked. The other Toads, besides Blue, were quietly waiting in suspense. Slowly, the interference appeared to disappear, but so did the voice. Whoever was trying to reach them made a last ditch effort to deliver the message.

"G...ut….th..e!" The voice shrieked before the entire line went dead. Static overtook the unknown messenger, and nothing more would be discerned from this signal. Captain Toad pocketed his communicator, and slumped in his seat. Something no longer felt right. Blue ignored this disturbance; he regarded it as a coincidence of little importance.

"Air is breathable according to readings… I think we all already figured out that the communicators' direct lines to the Toadstool are muddled… most likely due to atmospheric interference…" Blue mumbled on to himself. Red stood up.

"Take us over to the castle, I think it's time to make first contact." Captain Toad commanded. Blue tore himself away from his screen to take the controls. Over the treetops, and through the low-hanging clouds the Starshroom sputtered along. After a few minutes, they were within eyeshot of the settlement. It was a quaint little village that looked much like something they'd see back home, but with a slight 'southern' style. It was quite a delight to see something so familiar that was so far away from their homeworld. The roofs of the buildings were flat, orange, and depicted laughing individuals.

"This must be a colony of sorts." Blue remarked. "I recognize the style, it's unmistakably-" He was interrupted when the Starshroom violently shook, as if reacting to a blast.

"Woah, woah! What's going on?" Greenie shouted, bracing himself against the walls of the small vessel. Blue had fallen out of his seat, and he shuffled to regain his footing. Yellow swiveled his head from right to left from the window, trying to get a visual on their unseen assailant.

"We need to land this thing now, we're sitting ducks up here!" Red told Blue, taking the lead. As Blue Toad recovered from the tumble, he rolled his eyes at Red's orders.

"I'm getting to it! Jeez!" Blue retorted frustratedly.

"Now isn't the time to argue! Get us out of the sk-" Captain Toad was thrown into a wall when another projectile made impact on the Starshroom. The thrusters sputtered, and the windows were cracked. All except Greenie had been knocked out by the shock. The ship was beyond airworthy, and it began to plummet down to the village below.


	5. Big Trouble in Little Beantown II

CHAPTER 5

GBA-03

Footsteps all around him; paranoia clawed at his heart. Greenie unsheathed his pickaxe, usually a tool used for mining and such, but now would serve as a weapon to defend himself. What kinds of terrible creatures lurked in this town? Why weren't there any people? He wanted to hide in one of the nearby buildings, but he couldn't leave his unconscious friends… The frightened Toad raised his pickaxe in defiance, and stood guard at the wrecked Starshroom.

"H-hello? Who's there?" He called out as the footsteps grew louder. From behind one of the buildings, a voice replied with hostility.

"Get back! Put your weapon down, and don't move!" The voice ordered. Greenie was hesitant, but felt the devastating heat of being surrounded and alone. Cautiously and slowly, he dropped his pickaxe. "Good, now get on the ground!" An entire troop of fully armored knights popped out from their hiding spots, and pointed all their javelins directly at Greenie. The Green Toad collapsed onto the cobblestone road, and submitted to the overwhelming odds immediately. His heartbeat soared, and he nearly passed out like the rest of the surface crew.

"That's a very convincing disguise, it must've been expensive!" Another knight shouted out. Greenie felt it correct to clear his name; he definitely wasn't wearing a disguise or mask of any sort… though he felt it wise to keep his mouth firmly and safely shut at this moment in time. "Lieutenent! What should we do with them?" Gesturing to Greenie and the group of unconscious Toads. A larger and more regal knight stepped out from behind their lines to inspect the fungal invaders.

"Throw them in our jail." The Lieutenent simply ordered. Without another word, all the Toads were promptly escorted to the local jail, and Greenie felt more defeated than ever.

GBA-03 - JAIL CELL

Red shook himself awake. He felt the wet and dingy concrete of the floor before he felt his own fingers. So many questions rolled through his mind like lightning, but the most burning inquiry was that of his current location. Next to him on the filthy dungeon floor were Blue and Yellow, who were as knocked out cold as he had been just a moment before. He did notice, however, that Greenie was sitting up near the bars.

"...Greenie?" Red tried to get up, but his limbs felt like they were made of Koopa Soup. Greenie got up, and ran to help Captain Toad to his feet. "Boy am I glad to see that someone is awake… what happened?"

"Well… when we fell, I was the only one who was conscious, and then I was surrounded by a bunch of knights who threatened to kill all of us! Then they just took us here. Those crazy soldiers think we're some sort of impostors!" Greenie decompressed his pent up stress and worries as he explained their unfortunate situation. Red scratched his bulb.

"I wonder… how should we go about this?" Captain Toad pondered aloud. A knight standing guard bashed the bars with his weapon, and yelled.

"Shut up in there! You'll be tried momentarily!" The Knight said. Red and Greenie were stunned. A trial? At least these life forms were civilized, but they were almost certainly itching to put all of them to death.

Within the minute, two guards barged into their cell, shook Blue and Yellow awake, and dragged all of them off in a line linked by ankle and wrist chains. Red stood at the front of this treacherous conga line, and didn't dare protest their fate here. To the courthouse they went. On their way, they passed through the small village. Everyone was boarded up in their houses, and nobody was on the streets. These people had to be hiding from something, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that the knights believed the Toads to be it.

The doors to the courthouse burst open, and nearly all the seats were empty. All except the judge's chair. The judge had green skin, a long white beard, and overly tiny spectacles. The knights escorted them to the defendants' table, and they all sat down.

"You four have been charged with murder of the first degree, grand larceny, terrorism, and overall disturbance of the peace! How do you plea?" The Judge firmly stated. Yellow squirmed uncontrollably, Greenie bit his lip, Blue sat taking in his surroundings, and Red stood up to answer.

"We plead not guilty, your honor." Captain Toad defended. The Judge squinted his beady eyes through his glasses at the small mushroom-like creature.

"That is _precisely_ what a guiltful culprit would say, fiend!" The Judge accused. Red placed his hands on the table, and raised his voice.

"If you value your justice system, then we shall be our own lawyers in proving our innocence!" Captain Toad declared. Yellow shook with fear, and nervously tapped his Captain on the shoulder. Red took that as a signal to huddle up with the group.

"W-w-wait, Red, you're gonna act as our lawyer? Why don't we just split while we can?" Yellow murmured. Red fixed his eyes on the Judge while he answered his subordinate.

"We must respect the laws here, plus I don't think those knights are going to let us off so easily… Also, I don't think I have what it takes to be our legal protector. I have no clue how their laws work, but I do know someone who has a lot of experience with stuff like this." Red said, turning to Blue. Blue Toad's eyes shot open when he realized that the Captain meant him.

"Oh… um… Yes I believe I know a bit about the laws of the Beanish-" Blue raised his volume to question to the Judge. "-assuming that you are Beanish of the Beanbean Kingdom, correct?" His honor was enraged, and began beating his gavel on the podium frantically.

"Don't play dumb with me! You know who we are, and I know you're hiding your hideous faces underneath those unconvincing Toad disguises!" The Judge angrily speculated. Blue nodded, the Judge all but confirming his suspicions on this settlement's inhabitants. Blue swiveled his head to Captain Toad, and smirked.

"I studied abroad in Beanbean; It should be fine." Blue stated confidently, pushing his glasses up. Greenie felt a twinge of uncertainty in his heart.

"Just because you've lived there for a few months doesn't make you an expert on their legal system!" Greenie pointed out. Yellow furrowed his brow.

"Hey! My brother is the smartest guy I've ever met in my entire life!" Yellow protested, giving Greenie a mad expression. Red hushed Yellow, and turned his attention to Greenie.

"It may not be much, but it's our best shot. Unless you'd like to ask for a lawyer to be appointed to us that is…? I'm sure they'd give us an unbiased and intelligent Beanish who _definitely_ wouldn't be against us at all." Red sarcastically remarked towards Greenie. Green Toad nodded his head in understanding, and the huddle was broken.

"Your honor, the defense requests a motion to change the venue of our trial." Blue politely asked. The Judge slammed his gavel down once more.

"Firstly, this is the only courthouse on this whole planet! Secondly, NO!" The Judge rudely answered. Blue shrugged.

"It was worth a shot, I guess." Blue mumbled.

"Enter: prosecution!" The Judge called out. A huge muscular Beanish in a stylish suit and tie lumbered into the court from a back room. When the large Beanish sat down at the prosecution bench, it creaked loudly. Yellow Toad swallowed his courage. "Are you ready, Mr. Garbanzo?" The Judge asked. The massive prosecution lawyer nodded with a completely straight face. With another bang of his gavel, this time less fueled by emotion, the Judge marked the beginning of the trial. "The People of Little Beantown v. The Mushroom Menaces will begin here, start the record..."


	6. Big Trouble in Little Beantown III

CHAPTER 6

GBA-03 - LITTLE BEANTOWN COURTHOUSE

"Honorable Judge Pinto presiding, court is now in session." The Beanish Bailiff stated from the corner of the courtroom. Judge Pinto oversaw his court. There was no one in the audience due to them all being too afraid to leave their homes.

"Prosecution may present their opening statements." Pinto said. Blue was confused. When he attended a public trial in Beanbean, the defense always went first, but they were already in deep enough as it stood... so he decided against speaking up. Mr. Garbanzo got up from his seat to the sweet relief of his poor bench, and marched over to the jury box. Each step seemed to cause the entire building to shake. The jury box, though it was supposed to be full of unbiased and random citizens, wasn't able to be filled like normal because everyone was too petrified to come out. This left just Pinto in the horrible position of scraping up a jury from the staff at the courthouse and the jail. Needless to say, the jury was basically just the knights who arrested them. Garbanzo drew a heavy breath, and prepared to give his opening statements.

"TOADS BAD, MUST KILL." Garbanzo blurted out. The jury broke out into roaring and clanking applause. Blue broke a sweat.

"We're doomed…" He mumbled to himself. All of the Toads held their eyes wide in terror as Garbanzo made his way back to his nearly destroyed bench, and the applause finally died down. Judge Pinto rolled his eyes, and gestured for Blue to come forth. Blue gulped, and made his way to the jury box. His hands were clammy as he held his makeshift script, and his knees shook like an earthquake. With great effort, he opened his mouth to speak.

"On this fine day-" Blue started, but was interrupted nearly immediately by a torrent of booing and jeering. Blue Toad trembled at the negative reaction, and attempted to continue. "...we find ourselves trying to relieve the fog of predisposition to truly exact justic-" The yelling and screaming from the discontented mob grew louder and louder. Blue couldn't even hear himself think over the boisterous crowd. Judge Pinto checked his watch, and banged his gavel. The knights finally quieted down.

"I think the people have made their point; you may sit now." Pinto mocked, ordering Blue back to his seat. Blue Toad slunk back to the bench, totally and utterly humiliated.

"I'm sorry, I thought it was good when you wrote it." Red offered his sympathy. Blue turned away, and frowned. Red slumped into a slouch as he felt the full effect of the cold shoulder.

"Does the prosecution have any witnesses?" Pinto asked. Garbanzo shook his head 'no'. The Judge skipped asking Blue the same question, but the Toads knew they didn't have a leg to stand on in this courtroom anyway. The trial seemed to go by very quickly. Every time Blue would say or do anything, he would be met by an overboard negative response, and Garbanzo would always elicit a distinct joy in the jury when he simply spoke of the Toad Brigade's demise. Finally, the closing statements. Garbanzo rose once more from his surprisingly steadfast seat to deliver the thrilling conclusion to the pure culmination of his wit and cunning. From outside, a low rumble began. The monster of a Beanish stood confidently in front of the jury, and opened his mouth to speak. The lower decibels of vibrations had grown into a noticeable tremor. The Toads' attention was diverted, but all the Beanish had their eyes locked onto Garbanzo.

"KILL TOADS." The prosecution lawyer demanded. As he revealed his final masterstroke to his bulletproof argument, it seemed as though an earthquake was erupting right outside the front entrance. At last, everyone turned around to witness the source of the commotion. A huge globular red ship crashed through the wall. Splintered wood flew in every which way, and Judge Pinto dove for the safety of the floor. Spread across the ship's frontside was a wide and toothy iron grin. White swirls occupied the space where the eyes should be, emulating a twisted and terrible face on the large hovercraft. Without warning, a giant cannon emerged from its underside, and a beam of energy burst from the nozzle. Obviously taking him as the biggest threat in the room, the attack was aimed firmly at Garbanzo.

"AHHGG-!" The prosecution lawyer screeched before he was propelled backward. Soon, the large Beanish was nowhere to be found besides a Garbanzo-shaped hope in the wall. A sinister yet irregular laughter emitted from the hovercraft's loudspeaker, sending chills down everyone's spines. The Beanish Knights scrambled out of the jury box, and began attacking the ship by throwing their javelins at it. Their primitive weapons, however, were no match for the advanced technology this miniature battleship employed. While the hovercraft was occupied. Red roused his crew to get a move on.

"Come on! This thing isn't going to be distracted for much longer!" He shouted over the ruckus. The Toads scuttled out of the courthouse, and into the open street. Yellow nearly tripped over the rough cobblestone of the road, but Blue grabbed his brother's hand to make sure they continued their quickened pace. The speaker on the hovercraft let loose another wild cackle as the mysterious terrorist dispatched the remainder of the Beanbean soldiers. Satisfied with his work, the one-man ship turned its attention to the fleeing Toads, and revved the engines for hot pursuit.

"Your escape of feeble harbors the meaning of naught!" A high-pitched voice squealed over the loudspeaker. Red looked over his shoulder to see that the ship was chasing them, and he moved his stubby legs as fast as they would go in terror. Though they were running at top speed, there was no way they could beat the hovercraft. Coming up was a large stone building on a corner, adjacent to it was a street that was much wider than the backroad they currently found themselves on.

"Take a left!" Red shouted to his cohorts. Everyone followed his orders, and took a sharp turn at the street corner. The hovercraft's pilot obviously wasn't accustomed to flying this low when exerting his heinous power upon Little Beantown, and, carelessly, he smacked into the side of the stone building. Greenie shrieked as he rolled out of the way of falling debris. At the end of the this new street was a glistening harbor. Though it was wonderful scenery, it also meant they were about to run out of road. Captain Toad needed to devise a foolproof escape plan before they all met Garbanzo's fate. The hovercraft recuperated from its destructive collision, and redirected itself back towards the fleeing Toads. Once again, Yellow was tripped up by the uneven pathway, and this time he tumbled straight on his face.

"Yellow!" Blue shouted, running back to help up his clumsy brother. Suddenly, queued by the screeching hilarity from the hovercraft, a tractor beam latched onto Yellow.

"Oh no…" Yellow muttered, squirming in mid-air as he floated towards the ship. Blue Toad jumped, attempting to grab the suspended captive to no avail. Toads weren't exactly natural-born jumpers. "Help me!" His little brother yelped. Blue was about to try his hand at jumping for him again, but Red grabbed Blue by the shoulder frantically.

"Come on, we can't lose you too!" Captain Toad urged. Blue hesitantly turned his back on Yellow, soothing his conscience by vowing to free him as soon as possible. While the hovercraft was distracted by the kidnapping of their friend, they took the opportunity to take another detour down the dock near the harbor. Without the ship right behind them, it was time to find a hiding place if they wished to survive. Red looked around, and ran up to a house. "Hello! Please let us in!" He yelled while repeatedly knocking. The wooden slider on the door plunked open, and small eyes surrounded by green flesh peeked out.

"Who goes there?" The home owner questioned gruffly.

"Please let us in! We're in danger!" Red pleaded, his weak glare showing great fear. The Beanish hidden behind the door inspected the Toads. Blue was caught in a stare, preoccupied with the state of his brother, and Greenie was rapidly swiveling his head in worry to see if the hovercraft was upon them.

"How can I trust that you're not with him?" The Beanish interrogated. Just around the corner, the fiend filled the air with maniacal laughter.

"You shall be feeling the horrorful wrath of Fawful!" The voice screeched. Red was startled by how close the ship sounded.

"Please!" Red begged. The Beanish rolled his eyes, and mumbled something to himself about a 'confounded conscience' while he undid the multiple locks. He swung open the wooden door, and the Toads poured into the house. It was but a humble one-room home with the entire family of four cowering in the corner. Two Beanlet children with a young Beanmaid as their mother cautiously inspected the Toad Brigade before them. The father Beanish stood in front of his family, and he pointed a short spear at Captain Toad. He flashed a threatening face before continuing the interrogative discussion.

"Who are you?" The father demanded answers. Red calmly raised his hands, and composed himself.

"My name is Captain Toad, and this is my Toad Brigade." The father's expression didn't change. He obviously wasn't very familiar with fungi-peoples. Perhaps he'd spent most of his life on this isolated planet rather than on his native world. Red went on, hoping to ignite relief in the thick tension that hung between the two parties. "I am the commander of a large ship called the M.K.S. Toadstool; it just so happens to be in your planet's orbit at this moment"

"Honey, they're from the Mushroom Kingdom! They're friendly!" His wife exclaimed, recognizing the Toads. The father squinted his eyes at Red.

"Benita, are you sure?" He asked, turning his head to her briefly. She nodded, and he lowered the short spear. "I'm sorry, we've been having a lot of trouble around here recently. You can't be too careful."

"Who exactly was that in the hovercraft?" Greenie abruptly asked. "Why can't anyone do anything about it?" Red tried to hush him, but Benita stepped forward to answer.

"That was Fawful: he's an old enemy of the Beanbean people. After his mistress Cackletta was defeated by the Mario Brothers, he decided to continue harassing us even when we colonized other planets." She explained.

"Is there anything he wants from Little Beantown? Maybe we can appease him…" Greenie offered a solution, but Benita shook her head.

"If there was a way to satisfy him to get him out of our hair, we would have done it months ago, and with the lack of aid from the Mario Brothers… we're likely out of luck." She confessed, obviously upset with this uncomfortable fact. Red scratched his chin. Something had to be done. The Mario Bros. were probably off doing important galaxy-saving stuff, but this problem was just as pertinent as any. Someone has to help when the superstars don't show up.

"We've got to do something!" Blue yelled, fueled by the will to rescue his brother. Everyone in the room unanimously agreed.

"Any ideas?" Red posed a question to whoever was creative enough to answer it. The two Toads turned to Blue, who was already mentally drawing up a plan. The brainiac noticed two fishing nets in the corner of the house. He turned to the Captain, unusually confident.

"I've got a few." He replied with a grin.


	7. Big Trouble in Little Beantown IV

CHAPTER 7

LITTLE BEANTOWN - RUINED COURTHOUSE

Greenie snuck through the rubble of the widened courthouse entrance with great care. Deft as a fox, he made his way to the secondarily damaged wall. From his pouch, he fetched the 1-Up he'd been carrying for an emergency, and this situation fit the bill like a glove. He creeped up on the slumbering green behemoth. Garbanzo had been Fawful's first victim when he stormed the courthouse, but this large Beanish would hopefully ensure that none of them would be next.

The Toad plugged his nose, and opened the green giant's mouth. It would've been the end of Greenie's consciousness if he wouldn't have protected his nostrils because Garbanzo seemed to be afflicted with root rot — dental root rot that is. It truly was a mess: one he wasn't willing to be in the presence of any longer. He slipped the 1-Up into Garbanzo's mouth, and then quickly stepped back. The prosecution lawyer stirred, and slowly regained his senses.

"Morning, sunshine." Greenie greeted. Garbanzo shook off his sleepiness, and focused his eyes on the Toad.

"KILL TOAD!" He blurted out, slamming his gigantic fists on the stone. Green Toad threw up his hands.

"Wait wait wait wait wait! Don't kill me! Kill the hovercraft!" Greenie persuaded.

"Huffer… Craffed?" Garbanzo's brain struggled to understand.

"Big red thing, shoot you, you go sleep? Remember?" The Toad spoke the language of idiocy to get through to the Beanish. If the situation went awry, Greenie wasn't sure he'd be able to outrun this monstrous being. Everything rested on his ability to redirect the bean-brute's fury. Garbanzo scratched his chin, recalling the events prior to when he was knocked unconscious. The Toad held his breath, and sincerely hoped the Beanish would just cooperate. Suddenly, incessant cackling from their true enemy could be heard in the distance, interrupting the dolt's thought process. Piercing through the cloud of Garbanzo's stupidity, one simple sentence rang supreme.

"NOBODY SHOOTS GARBANZO!" The great Beanish bellowed, picking up his feet to begin an impassioned sprint towards the sound of Fawful. Greenie wiped the sweat off his brow, relieved to have survived another near-death encounter. With no delay, he grabbed the communicator out of his bag, and raised it to his ear.

"Red! You guys have a Garbanzo heading in your direction!"

Captain Toad shoved his communicator back into his pocket, and readied the fishing net in his hand. He was kneeling in an alleyway, waiting for Fawful's ship to pass by. Blue was crouching in a similar fashion across the street. On his signal, they would throw their nets onto the hovercraft, and their plan would be reaching its glorious climax. The whirring of engines alerted the two Toads, and they sat ever prepared. Finally, the crimson gleam of the ship reared its ugly head. This was their chance.

"Now!" Red shouted to his partner. They both, with all their might, launched the fishing nets on onto the hovercraft. Now all they had to do was hold him for but a few seconds. The loudspeaker filled the street with unsettling laughter.

"The attemptings of yours to be capturing the Great Fawful reak of weak!" Fawful antagonized. The ship boosted its thrusters, and sent Blue and Red into overdrive with their effort of holding the villain down. They tugged as hard as they could to combat this fervent opposition, but it was nearly no use.

"Just… a few more… moments!" Red strained as he felt his hands stinging of rope burn. Blue's arms felt as though they would be pulled off with the force of the hovercraft, and had to let his line go. Red was left alone to persevere through the trial of strength, but by the time he was singled out, it was all but too late for the fiendish Beanish. Heavy footsteps slammed into the cobblestone, shaking the entire world around them. Windows shattered, and foundations trembled. The thrusters let up, and Fawful turned his ship around to face the perceived source of the commotion.

"What does the reason for this mean?!" Fawful questioned. Seemingly out of nowhere, Garbanzo came dashing towards the hovercraft.

"NOBODY SHOOTS GARBANZO!" The hulking Beanish boomed. Garbanzo leapt into the air, itching to deliver a decisive and destructive blow. "NOBODY!"

"Oh dear…" Fawful quietly squeaked. In a fit of blinding malice, the entire ship was torn apart piece by piece. Red released his hold on the rope for the hovercraft was no long kept grounded by the weakened fishing nets cast by the Toads, but by the frighteningly enraged colossus and his over-the-top violence. The entire shell of the ship was dismantled in a matter of minutes, and only the bare cockpit remained. Garbanzo raised his boulder of a fist to smash Fawful and Yellow where they sat, but Blue intervened.

"Quick! Red, throw it now!" Blue yelled. Captain Toad reached into his pocket, and pulled out a mini mushroom. He chucked it at Garbanzo just as the brute was reaching into the passenger section of the ruined ship. Following the corresponding sound effect, the once monstrous Beanish was the size of a pea. With their immediate threat to their friend neutralized, Red and Blue approached the exposed cockpit.

"You're done for, Fawful, come on out." The Captain called.

"kill toads!" A shrunken voice shrieked. Blue dismissively kicked the tiny Garbanzo into a nearby window.

"Release him now!" Red demanded. Fawful giggled, and hopped out of the cockpit with Yellow in a choke-hold.

"Guys! Help me!" The lazy Toad pleaded. Blue felt the hate rise through his body, and he stepped up to take back his brother. Red put his arm out to stop him.

"Give us Yellow, and no harm will come to you." Captain Toad informed. Fawful guffawed, and tightened his hold on the unsuspecting Toad.

"Owowowowwwww!" Yellow yelped.

"Why, you-!" Blue tripped over his words in his anger. Red narrowed his gaze. Fawful and Yellow Toad slowly lifted off the ground, revealing his possession of a jet-pack.

"The Mushrooms are wishing to be retrieving their companion of amiability, but I shall soon be stewing amongst the places of secrecy! Places of utmost secrecy that are unbeknownst to those who are Mushrooms and Beans!" Fawful spilled word soup out of his mouth. Blue and Red didn't fully understand every poorly structured word, but it didn't take a grammatical genius to see that this verbal dunce was escaping. It was hopeless, they were going to lose sight of him any moment. Continuous marching interrupted Red's train of thought, and he turned to the alleyway to see what the commotion was. He didn't get a chance to see where he noise was coming from, but he did see a javelin land directly in Fawful's jet-pack. "Curses!"

"Protect the Yellow Toad!" The Lieutenant barked. Lines of knights from between the buildings emerged single-file while the villain's distance between the air and the ground lessened with each passing second. The evil Beanish was grounded at last, and knights surrounded the felon in an instant. With their javelins pointed at his throat, Fawful threw up his arms in surrender, and Yellow was finally set free. Blue ran over to embrace his brother, and Red stepped up to speak with the Lieutenant.

"How did you guys know to come? It wasn't so long ago that all those weapons of yours were pointed at us." Red pointed out. The Lieutenant, instead of directly answering, stepped aside to reveal Benita standing behind him.

"These are the friends I was referring to." She informed the official. The Beanish lady turned to Captain Toad. "Thanks to you and your Toad Brigade for aiding our guards in incapacitating this nasty menace; we all owe you a great deal." Blue and Yellow walked up behind Red. "Many thanks to you as well, Mr. Blue Toad, for developing the plan for this operation."

"We're just doing our jobs." Red replied, a sense of pride swelling in his breast.

"To show our gratitude, we removed our crossbow bolts from your spaceship, and also we apologize for shooting you down in the first place…" The Lieutenant said sheepishly. Fawful had been put in chains, and was being taken away to the dungeon where the Toads had been earlier that day.

"This gives me NO CHORTLES!" Fawful cried. With the day saved and the antagonizer put behind bars, the Toads were satisfied with their work on GBA-03; they took off in their repaired Starshroom to return home.

"How's the Chuckola Cola?" Greenie asked. Yellow took a swig, and leaned back in his seat.

"That's some good stuff…" Yellow commented, his eyes showing a great amount of relief. "It's definitely better than being trapped in a hovercraft with an evil genius." Blue ignored them while he tampered with the control panel, but Red held a bottle of cola as well.

"It was nice of them to gift us this." Red said. Greenie nodded in agreement.

"Do you want some, Blue?" Yellow asked. Blue shook his head 'no'.

"I don't drink that stuff, it rots your insides." Blue answered flatly, keeping his eyes glued to the console.

"Come on, where did you hear that?" Red called him out, swallowing his mouth-full of the sweet and bubbly beverage. Blue sighed, and devoted more attention to the conversation.

"I read it… in a book." Blue Toad clarified. Yellow shook his head in disapproval.

"You can't believe everything you read in a library!" His brother pointed out. Greenie chuckled at Yellow's repurposing of the phrase. Blue groaned, defeated; he outstretched his hand.

"Fine, let me have one." Blue caved. Red cracked open the mini fridge the Beanish gave them, and tossed the pilot a Chuckola Cola. Blue Toad twisted off the bottle cap, and took a small sip. An awkward silence draped over them as they all waited for the verdict. Blue set down his bottle, and, instead of saying anything, turned to continue flying them back to the docking bay. Everyone looked at each other.

"Well?" Yellow asked. Blue tightened his lips, but finally gave in.

"It… it's pretty good." Blue admitted.

"I told you so!" Yellow exclaimed. Everyone had a good laugh, but soon they landed in the Toadstool Docking Bay. From there, they all went back to their personal quarters to unwind from the adventure, and to prepare for another one very soon.

 **END**


End file.
